Beaujolais Ice Cream
Originally uploaded by ulteriorepicure.
I know, I know, you all are sick of reading about Beaujolais Nouveau. Believe me, I’m sick of seeing, drinking, hearing and writing about it too.
I had two bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau, one 2005 and one 2006, about 3/4-full left from my “Notoriety Dinner” Friday night (one can only drink so much of this stuff at once, if ever). So, I dumped a cup into a sauce pan with 2/3 cup of sugar and reduced it down to a syrup. I tossed in 3 oz. of dried cherries and let that cool.
I then simmered 3 cups of heavy cream and then whisked in the syrup with the macerated cherries. I set the mixture aside to cool and then refrigerated it overnight. The next day, I whirred it up in my ice cream maker (yeah, yeah, per the manufacturer’s instructions – who else’s?) and presto! My Cinderella wine turned into an elegant (and tasty) frozen delight!!
I poured out the remaining wine (about 4 cups) in a larger sauce pan and brought it to a simmer with 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I peeled and wedged three apples and tossed them in and let them poach until just tender. I pulled out the poached apples and then returned the wine mixture to the heat and let it reduce by half.
So, there you go, Beaujolais Nouveau ice cream with Beaujolais Nouveau-poached apples and a Beaujolais Nouveau reduction. Try saying that five times quickly!!
I suppose necessity really is the mother of invention.
By the way, those poached apples, chilled, go very nicely with blue cheese – especially a creamy Roquefort or Gorgonzola.
